New & Notable - August 2011

Restaurant débuts, menu changes, and trend tracking

Published: 2011.07.20 11:17 AM

The corner of 9th Avenue and Market Street gets its third new bar in as many years this month, as Bootlegger opens with a full bar of fancy cocktails, plus a menu of decadent bar food like macaroni and cheese bouquets, cheesy burgers, and baskets of various fried goodness (seafood, chicken, etc.)

Bye, bye O’Connells. Morena Boulevard gets a new dive bar in its place this summer called The Griffin. Maybe the USD crowd will actually fraternize in Linda Vista now, and give the Beachcomber back to the surfers.

The Flying Pig gastropub lands in O’side, inching that community toward the “next great beach town” status that we’ve been hearing about for years. Hopefully, slow-and-steady wins the race to a real food scene.

New American eatery The Range opened its bright and sunny space on University Avenue in Hillcrest just in time for LGBT Pride Festival in July, offering a slow food fanatics dream menu, filled with all the kosher terminology like cage free, grass-fed, craft beer, reclaimed wood and everything local.

Another craft beer and cozy pub food spot debuts in the ‘burbs, this time in Poway. Soccer moms and surfer dads stranded inland will appreciate Company Pub and Kitchen’s family-friendly vibe and large patio space with plenty of room and water bowls for Fido.

Sabuku sushi opened last month in Normal Heights as the only sushi spot on Adams Avenue besides the limited offerings at Tao. Monday and Wednesday all-night happy hours and a special late-night menu should draw local crowds from the get-go.